Boston Marathon qualifiers left out amid running boom
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 17: Hellen Obiri of Kenya crosses the finish line and takes first place in the professional Women's Division during the 127th Boston Marathon on April 17, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Maddie Meyer / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
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Some 12,000 runners who met the qualifying standard for the 2025 Boston Marathon will not have a place at the starting line, organizers said on Tuesday, after a rush of applications.
Boston is one of the few marathons requiring amateurs to meet a qualifying time to compete, and runners each year hope to "Boston qualify" based on their age and gender, which is considered a coveted rite of passage for marathoning enthusiasts.
But a speedy pool of applicants meant entrants had to exceed their qualifying time by six minutes 51 seconds to get a spot, the largest cut-off in the race's history with the exception of the COVID-reduced 2021 edition.
According to Boston Athletic Association President and CEO Jack Fleming, the 36,393 qualifier applications reflected the booming popularity of distance running.
"Boston Marathon qualifiers have trained thousands of miles with the hopes of lining up in Hopkinton on Patriots’ Day," Fleming said in a statement.
"Unfortunately, we’re unable to accept all athletes into the field, though we do want to recognize, thank, and applaud all whose goal was to be part of the 2025 event."
Earlier this month, organizers of the marathon major adjusted the qualifying standard for the 2026 race, with runners aged under 60 asked to run five minutes faster to enter.
The 2025 Boston Marathon is set for April 21.
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